Saitama Prefectural Police officer critically injured after seizing handgun

A 37-year-old male police sergeant from the Saitama Prefectural Police is in critical condition after seizing a handgun from an officer and shooting himself in the head. The incident occurred around 10:05 a.m. on November 4, at a waste treatment facility in Koshigaya, Saitama Prefecture.

The incident began around 8:45 a.m. when the sergeant, who was on leave, called emergency services claiming his son had been kidnapped while on his way to school. When officers from the Koshigaya Police Station arrived at the facility to investigate, the man reportedly became violent. During an attempt to restrain him, the sergeant managed to take a handgun from an officer and fired a single shot into his own head.

Police confirmed that no kidnapping had actually occurred. The sergeant was transported to a hospital in critical condition and remains unconscious. The four officers present at the scene were not injured. Chief Inspector Katsuya Saito stated that the department is conducting a thorough investigation to determine the cause and prevent recurrence.